


Break The Ceiling

by uncreativename



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Politics, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-02-01 11:06:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12703749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uncreativename/pseuds/uncreativename
Summary: It's election time in Toronto and Matska Belmonde is running. Carmilla is going to be forced to participate in the election to support her sister - starting with an interview with reporter Laura Hollis.





	Break The Ceiling

**Author's Note:**

> [As promised](http://uncreativenamefics.tumblr.com/post/166482532730/uncreativenamefics-theres-a-municipal-election), here it is.  
>  Thanks to platypiandi for being rad. Buy 'Cut To The Feeling' by Carly Rae Jepsen on iTunes.  
> Also, I gave Charlotte two sisters, 'cause #JusticeForAnneBronte.

_ ‘Vote for Matska!’ _

_ ‘Elect Matska Belmonde - Toronto’s Choice’ _

_ ‘Matska Belmonde for Mayor!’ _

Carmilla couldn’t wait for this election to be over.

Big, bold election signs were everywhere, and Mattie’s smug face grinned down at her, as though she were there. Mattie was running for mayor and wherever Carmilla went, Mattie’s eyes followed, reminding her of the opposite lives they now lived.

Carmilla continued walking to her small, often fledgling coffee shop, Silas Coffee. She lived relatively modestly - a sizable inheritance from her mother, Lilita Morgan, allowed her to open her shop, hire a small staff, and live comfortably within her means. She didn’t seek more; she was raised in a world where money was no object and she turned away from that life the moment she could. She had separated herself from her family as soon as she was able to, Mattie being the only exception.

Her sister went another route.

After their mother passed, Mattie began to pursue her own career in politics. Lilita was mayor of Toronto until her death. Mattie was elected city councillor shortly after, and took a different approach to politics as her mother. While still intimidating and cold in many of the ways her mother was, Mattie had no patience for the corruption and ruthlessness that the city had operated under since Lilita had been mayor.

And now, Mattie was running again, this time trying to ‘dethrone’ the current mayor.

Scattered throughout her neighbourhood were candidate signs for all stripes, including a fair amount for her sister. The only signs she saw more frequently than Mattie’s also happened to make her cringe.

_ ‘Re-Elect Vordenberg’ _

_ ‘Vordenberg for Mayor: A Lasting Legacy’ _

_ ‘Vote Vordenberg’ _

She cringed. Carmilla had the unfortunate pleasure of knowing him for the majority of her life. He was often in the same circles as their mother, and when Lilita was alive, Carmilla was usually begrudgingly near. She knew Lilita found him particularly useful when she was mayor, and after she died, he maintained the same system of inequality that she instilled. He was as sleazy and corrupt as politicians came, but used his persona as a loveable elderly man to his advantage. 

She would never say this to her sister, but Carmilla hoped Mattie’d win. Anything to get that creep out of office.

As Carmilla neared her work, she noticed something out of the ordinary taped to the inside of the glass door, beneath the ‘Open’ sign. She rolled her eyes - it was a small but bold sign that read,  _ ‘Matska Belmonde for Mayor’ _ . She entered and tore it off, greeting her barista, LaFontaine with, “What the frilly hell is this?”

“Oh. Yeah. Her people came by earlier, asked if we’d put it up,” they shrugged, standing behind the register. Leaning forward and offering in a quieter voice so the other customers in the shop wouldn’t hear, “I figured you wouldn’t mind, since she’s your sister and all…”

“Of course I mind.” 

No one but LaFontaine knew they were related, which was important to Carmilla. She didn’t want her sister, or even worse, her mother’s reputation affecting her any more than they already had. She brushed past LaFontaine and entered the back office.

“By the way, Lola Perry was with your sister too. She says hello. She’s...fascinating. Another reason why the sign is up. Was up,” they added, taking the crumpled up sign from Carmilla and throwing it away. 

“Ah yes, your ginger soulmate.”

“Uh, what are you- that’s- I don’t even know her,” they sputtered.

Carmilla arched an eyebrow.

“Anyway,” LaFontaine said, changing the subject, “Speaking of the election, did you happen to watch TTV last night? That Laura Hollis reporter did a profile on some long lost Vordenberg cousin and I am  _ positive _ it was Vordenberg wearing an Undercover Boss-type disguise…”

\---

_ “Hello! This is Laura Hollis from TTV. I left a message for you a few days ago -” _

Carmilla hit delete on her voicemail, ignoring the message.

This reporter had been trying to get a hold of her to do a segment on her and her relationship with Mattie and her mother. Something about giving the voters a more personal look at the candidates’ lives, Carmilla couldn’t be bothered to listen to the whole message in its entirety.

It was meaningless drivel. She had grown up with politics, been featured in many profiles and features about her mother; she didn’t want to participate in the game anymore, even if it was for Mattie. And she heard about Laura Hollis’s interview with Vordenberg’s “cousin”, but didn’t bother watching it. From what LaFontaine described, was clear that his campaign sanitized it within an inch of its life, insisting that Vordie was a “man of the people!” and not in the back pockets of the richest in Toronto. 

She turned to her computer again and opened up  _ Quickbooks _ . She was running over their financial statements from the past month when she got an email alert. From her sister.

_ Oh goodie. _

_ To: Carmilla Karnstein _ __  
_ From: Matska Belmonde _ _  
_ __ Cc: Lola Perry

_ Subject: TTV Profile - Urgent - OPEN THIS EMAIL, CARMILLA _

_ Carmilla, _

_ I gave Laura Hollis from TTV your contact information. She is profiling family members of high profile candidates to give the public a sense of our histories. Lola thinks people are finding it difficult relating to me - something about how I seem cold and unapproachable. Absurd, I know. But you - my beautiful entrepreneurial sister - can help with that.  _

_ Please be nice to Ms Hollis when she contacts you. She’s a little shrill and annoying, but her segments could be an incredible asset to our campaign. _

_ -Mattie _

_ Well,  _ Carmilla thought, deleting the message,  _ that explained how Laura Hollis even knew they were sisters _ . 

She continued with her day, not giving Mattie, the election, or Laura Hollis any further thought.

\---

She should’ve known what would’ve happened.

A few days later, just after the morning rush came through, strode in a bright ball of sunshine. The woman had an easy smile on her face and held herself with a confidence that didn’t often go with people of her height. Carmilla felt immediately drawn to her.

It might’ve helped that she was  _ really _ cute. 

“Hey cutie, what can I get for you?” she asked as the woman walked up to the counter.

The woman smiled at her, warm and happy, and Carmilla felt herself grin back.

“A small mocha, please, with soy milk,” she requested, as Carmilla punched her order into the iPad. The woman peered into the pastry case, her eyes wide, then continued, “And I  _ probably  _ shouldn’t, but one of those chocolate cupcakes in the case, please…”

“Sure thing, sweetheart,” Carmilla said, finalizing the order. “It’ll be $7.50.” 

The woman made her payment, and Carmilla asked, “Is it your first time in here?”

“It is!” she answered, brightly. “Which is  _ ridiculous _ , ‘cause I live just a few blocks away. How do I not know that  _ cupcakes _ are just steps from my home...”

Carmilla wrote her order on the cup for LaFontaine and passed it to them, who smirked at her as they took it. Carmilla stopped herself from rolling her eyes at them, then turned back to the woman.

“Well, maybe you should come here more often,” Carmilla suggested. She threw in a wink, hoping that the woman caught on that she was flirting. 

“Maybe I should,” the woman answered, matching her smirk. “Do you work here often?”

“I do. I own the place,” she said, hoping it would impress the woman.

The woman’s grinned changed a little, from flirtatious to excited. “Wait, are you Carmilla Karnstein?”

Carmilla stiffened. “Why?”

“I’m Laura Hollis from TTV,” she answered, and Carmilla immediately felt her attraction to the woman die off a little. She heard LaFontaine snicker from the coffee machine. “Matska Belmonde told me I would find her sister here…” 

Carmilla rolled her eyes then backed away from the counter. “LaFontaine will finish your order.”

She eyed the line behind Laura and found no one there, so she busied herself by arranging cups on the back counter instead.

“Wait, are you Carmilla? You’re the only other person behind the counter, other than the person I’m assuming is LaFontaine, unless you’re referring to yourself in third person and  _ that’s _ Carmilla. Miss Belmonde  _ did _ say that Carmilla had a generally broody air about her though…”

“Ha! She totally does!” LaFontaine laughed. Carmilla glared at them, but they remained unphased. “Small mocha with soy milk. Thanks for coming in.”

“Thanks,” Laura said, taking a sip. “This is delicious!”

“It’s why the boss keeps me around,” they answered, pulling Carmilla next to them and propping their arm on her shoulder. Carmilla continued to glare, which they both ignored. “I’m LaFontaine. Big fan of your work. Hey, was Vordenberg’s cousin actually Vordie in a poorly done disguise, or do the Vordenberg genes just run really strong?”

Laura laughed. “Hard to say,” she answered.

Carmilla tried to use their conversation and inattention to her advantage and slipped past LaFontaine for the back office.

“Wait! Carmilla, right? Mattie said I could come in and just schedule an interview with you...” 

LaFontaine openly laughed.

_ Fine _ , Carmilla thought. She dragged her feet back to the two. 

“Of course she did.”

“So,” Laura continued, not seeming bothered that Carmilla had shut down, “can I come back tomorrow? It’ll just be me and my cameraman, Kirsch. It won’t take any more than an hour of your time.”

“No thanks.”

“Oh,” she answered, seeming deflated. “No? But Mattie said-”

“Mattie says a lot of things.”

“It won’t take long, I just-”

“I said no, as politely as I can. The door’s over there,  _ goodbye _ , cupcake.”

“Oh, and here’s your cupcake!” LaFontaine said, grabbing the cupcake from the case and putting it in a container. “Sorry my boss is a recluse asshole, come back soon!”

Laura glared at Carmilla, then gave LaFontaine a small smile. She took the cupcake (angrily, but also adorably), and huffed out the coffee shop.

The door swung closed and LaFontaine let out a whistle.

“That was going so well for you - I could’ve sworn you were going to get her number, but you completely ruined it. You really need to work on your flirting, Carmilla.”

“Shut up, LaF.”

\---

Not two hours later, Carmilla got more unwanted visitors.

Mattie strolled into the shop with her campaign manager, Lola Perry, trailing behind her as she always did. 

Carmilla stopped wiping the table and stood straight, squaring her shoulders, readying herself for whatever onslaught Mattie was going to throw her way.

“Carmilla,” Mattie greeted, with a nod.

“Mattie.”

Mattie sighed and placed her hands on her hips, reminding Carmilla  _ so much _ of their mother when she was about to scold her. 

“I thought I told you to be nice to Laura Hollis.”

Carmilla raised an eyebrow. “I thought you would’ve known by now I don’t take orders from anyone.”

“You work at a coffee shop, it’s your job to take orders.”

Carmilla glared. “What do you want?”

“Uh...did you guys want to talk in private?” LaFontaine’s voice piped up from behind Carmilla. “Maybe in your office, Carmilla? I can manage up here…”

“Good idea, Lophiiformes,” Mattie answered.

“No one has ever mistaken my name for that, but I’m into it…”

Lola spoke up next. “Mattie, would you like me to come with you, or…”

“You can stay here, Lola. I believe this is a  _ family _ matter.”

Carmilla walked towards the back of the business into her tiny office which doubled as a storage room. She plopped down onto the chair, kicking her feet up on the desk. Mattie shut the door behind her.

They stared at each other for a beat, both of them using their glares to try to assert dominance. It was a pretty typical exchange for the two of them. Part of how they showed each other affection, at this point. 

“Hi, sis,” Carmilla said, breaking the silence first. 

“I believe you owe me,” Mattie said, weight on every work.

Carmilla bit back a laugh. “Oh  _ please _ , for what?”

“Two years ago, when you and LaFontaine decided to try your hand at making your own syrups at home, and the experimental recipes  _ exploded _ , ruining your stove - who bought you a new stove?”

“Well, that was  _ nothing _ , and now LaF is renowned for their glow-in-the-dark edible syrup-”

“And there was that other time, three years ago, when you were with that awful Elle woman and you sought refuge in my home for  _ two weeks _ while you avoided breaking up with her?”

“I can  _ barely _ be blamed for that, she was a  _ terrible _ girlfriend and I had to get away-”

“And Carmilla, need I remind you of Whistler 2012? Who got you out of that horrible situation with the cougar and the  _ literal _ cougar, and the lovely Whistler National Park rangers?”

Carmilla grimaced. It  _ was _ going fine until the literal cougar showed up… 

“ _ Fine _ . That’s low though, even for you.”

Mattie leaned forward, both hands on Carmilla’s desk. “And who has sworn secrecy, never to tell a soul about what happened? Who has been loyal to you, helping you ghost your poor pathetic ex-girlfriend? And who  _ paid _ for your  _ new kitchen _ ?”

“ _ You _ ,” she answered through gritted teeth.

“I know you don’t like doing these things,” Mattie said, softening. “I know you didn’t choose this life, and as soon as you got away from Maman, you got as far away from her world as possible. But this is important to me, and now it’s my world. I promise I’ll do my best to not make you feel like a political pawn, the way she did, but I need your help.”

It was a rare moment of sincerity from Mattie.

Carmilla groaned internally, the words coming out before she could stop herself, “ _ Fine! _ ” Carmilla yelled, already hating herself for what she was about to say. “Just stop showing emotion, it’s making me uncomfortable.”

“So it’s settled!” Mattie said, clapping and straightening up. “I’ll get Lola to contact Ms. Hollis again, offer  _ your _ profuse apologies, and arrange for the interview. Does tomorrow afternoon work?”

Carmilla deflated. “Fine.”

“And dress appropriately, Carmilla. None of this,” she waved her hand dismissively at what Carmilla was wearing, “ _ hipster goth _ aesthetic. You’ll be on television.”

\---

Later that afternoon, as the two were locking up, LaFontaine asked, “Dude, what happened in Whistler?”

\---

“Can I get your name - and could you spell it for me?” Laura Hollis asked, sitting across from Carmilla, the camera behind her, pointing directly at Carmilla’s face.

She felt herself flush as the ‘recording’ light from the camera turned red, indicating they were recording.

“Carmilla Karnstein,” she said, a little quietly. “C-A-R-M-I-L-L-A K-A-R-N-S-T-E-I-N.” 

“Great! Are we good, Kirsch?” she asked, turning to the cameraman.

“Can you adjust her mic? It’s a little high and it sounds muffled,” the tall, puppy-like man answered.

“Oh! Sorry Miss Karnstein, let me just,” Laura reached forward and delicately reclipped Carmilla’s mic, moving it down her chest. “There you go! That should be better.”

That really wasn’t helping with her anxiety, Carmilla thought, as Laura’s hands slipped off her. She fidgeted with the cup in front of her and bounced her knee. 

“Are you okay to begin?”

“...yes.” Carmilla felt the curious eyes of the patrons in the coffee shop on her, but that was not as daunting as the camera angled towards her a few feet away. She didn’t care for attention like this, and right now she wanted to wring Mattie’s neck for putting her in this position.

Carmilla spent the night before going through potential questions with Perry. It felt like she was cramming for a big test at school - except with far more effort than she ever put when she was a student. The only positive byproduct of her  _ boring _ evening was that she actually found herself believing that Mattie would be pretty great as mayor.

If she just extracted the stick that was up her ass.

But she wasn’t going to say  _ that _ to Laura Hollis and all of Toronto on TTV.

Hopefuly.

Laura was nice enough though, especially considering Carmilla’s general attitude. It helped that with her nerves, Carmilla was too nervous to bite back the same way she did the day prior.

“Lola Perry said you were going to be cooperative when she called but I didn’t realize it meant you were going to be docile,” Laura joked. 

Carmilla grumbled.

“Hey,” Laura said, putting her hand on Carmilla’s and giving it a squeeze. “You’ll be great. I know we went off on the wrong foot - by no fault of my own, of course - but let’s just have a casual conversation, like old friends.”

The warmth in her eyes calmed Carmilla down slightly, but she protested anyway.

“Cupcake, do I look like the type of person who just has ‘casual conversations’?”

Laura rolled her eyes. “Then just...try to relax. Being on camera can be nerve-wracking, I know. Especially since you’ve chosen a totally different track in life from Mattie.”

“I have,” Carmilla agreed.

Laura looked around the shop, taking it in. “This is a great coffee shop you have here,” she complimented. “How long has it been open?”

“6 years.”

“That’s great, especially for this neighbourhood,” Laura said. “You’re pretty young too - how old are you?”

“I’m thirty,” she answered. 

“Wow, you started it when you were pretty young! Were you always entrepreneurial?”

“Uh...yeah?”

Carmilla cringed. Two word answers for the past few questions. This was going to be  _ riveting _ . She didn’t like being bad at things, and she was discovering she was really bad at being interviewed. 

Laura watched her, eyes bright as they always were, encouraging her silently. If she found Carmilla’s profound awkwardness in any way uncomfortable, she wasn’t showing it.

It kind of gave Carmilla a little boost of confidence to elaborate more.

“Uh, Mattie actually invested in it. She helped me get it started.” 

“That’s great!” Laura beamed, almost as if she was trying to reassure Carmilla with her smile. “And it’s been doing well - I dug around and saw that your barista is an Ontario Barista Championship winner. Must be great to have that kind of success on board too.”

“Yeah, LaFontaine does a great job. They’re a biochemist, by trade but became a barista to get through university and use their genius for Silas Coffee too. They’re a mad coffee scientist.” 

Carmilla could talk about other people. She could do that.

“And how about you? What brought you to the coffee world?”

Laura’s voice changed a little, almost becoming even more of a reporter. Carmilla felt self-conscious again, her attention shooting past Laura’s shoulder, ever mindful that they were being filmed.

“Hey, don’t worry about the camera,” Laura assured her, drawing Carmilla’s attention back to her. “It’s just you and me here, talking.”

“Right, sorry,” Carmilla muttered, taking a drink of her coffee. “Can uh, we just get to the Mattie questions?” 

Laura smiled. “Of course, Carmilla,” Laura appeased. She slipped back into reporter mode, so easily. “Do you think Matska Belmonde should be elected Mayor of Toronto?” 

Carmilla cleared her throat then recalled the words she had rehearsed earlier with Perry.

“I run a small coffee shop. It’s hard for people like me, who sometimes have to live paycheque to paycheque. And Mattie understands this. She’s going to do what she can to make our city more livable - and not just for the people on top,” Carmilla answered, mentally patting herself on the back. 

“Her platform is very much focused on lowering property taxes for small businesses and increasing them for corporations,” Laura stated, clearly having done her research. “Some say that she’s bluffing, because it would be counterintuitive to what your mother established. Some say she’s just another version of Lilita Morgan. What do you say to that?”

Carmilla clenched her jaw, before replying shortly. “She’s not our mother.”

Laura pressed on. 

“How about on social issues? Vordenberg continued the an era of conservatism in Toronto which your mother led in. How do you feel Mattie compares to this?”

“She’s the opposite of him.” Carmilla recalled her notes from the campaign. “Mattie’s a woman of colour, for one. She’s in a position of understanding minority issues that Vordenberg and the other candidates would not be able to comprehend. Plus, I’m a lesbian. She’s made it a point to understand the queer community to the best of her ability.” 

Laura lit up. “You’re gay?”

Carmilla smirked. “Is this part of the interview?”

“Right! Sorry. It just… it  _ would _ be nice to have legitimate allies in higher political positions,” Laura mumbled. Carmilla noticed even Kirsch nodding behind them. “Speaking, totally impartially of course.”

Laura continued to ask questions about what Carmilla thought about Mattie’s platform and Carmilla’s thoughts on how Mattie would tackle various city issues. Carmilla answered them as best as she could, recalling all the talking points Perry had shared with her. It was going pretty well, Carmilla thought, and was relieved when Laura drew the interview to a close. 

“Thanks again for agreeing to meet with me and be interviewed. I was pretty surprised when Lola Perry called me yesterday. After our  _ minor _ confrontation, I thought you’d never agree to this.”

Carmilla let out a small laugh. “Well, you’ve met Mattie. She can be pretty persuasive.” 

“Tell that to 57% of prospective voters, according to the most recent polls at least,” Laura said, her tone dismissive. Her eyes grew wide, catching herself. “Oh! Crap. That was rude, I’m sorry -”

Carmilla grinned. “No. It’s fine. It was funny. It’s true. Mattie’s  _ intimidating _ , that’s a better word for it.”

“So you were intimidated into speaking to me?” Laura leaned forward, and Kirsch behind her mirrored her position, focusing the camera.

“...yes,” Carmilla answered truthfully. “But that’s not to say I don’t think Mattie can do this. The public perception of her can be, frankly, that she is cold, uncaring, calculated. I’d argue that she’s is far more complex than to reduce her to a sexist view of what a successful woman is. I’d argue that she is smart, thoughtful - calculated, yes, but to her benefit. We should  _ want _ the smartest person to be mayor, not some bumbling lackey. People should want someone like her to be the mayor. Mattie should be mayor.”

\---

LaFontaine whistled, the video clip ending on Carmilla’s computer. “Hey, that was  _ great _ .” 

“Yeah?” Carmilla couldn’t help the shy uncertainty from creeping into her voice.

“Yeah. I’m impressed. Laura Hollis made you  _ and _ your sister look relatively normal and likeable. Laura is a miracle worker.”

Carmilla nudged LaFontaine playfully. 

“Has Mattie said anything?” they asked.

Carmilla shook her head. “Not yet. It was just posted.”

“Did you like it?” 

“I didn’t look as uncomfortable as I felt, so I guess it was alright.”

“Win-win.”

Carmilla’s phone rang. ‘ _ Mattie _ ’ appeared on the call display.

“I’ll leave you to it,” LaF said, leaving the office.

“Hello?”

_ “That...was more than I ever expected.”  _ Mattie sounded shocked. 

“Whatever, it was nothing.”

_ “No, Carmilla. Even if... even if I lose, to know that’s how you feel? Thank you.” _

“Don’t be weird about it, it’s not a big deal.”

_ “You made Lola cry.” _

“She cries about everything.”

“ _ I do not! _ ” a voice cried in the background.

\---

_ To: Carmilla Karnstein _ _  
_ _ From: Laura Hollis, TTV Reporter _

_ Subject: Your TTV Profile _

_ Hi Carmilla, _

_ In case you haven’t seen it, here’s  _ _ the link _ _. _

_ Thanks again, Carmilla. It was great meeting you; I guess I’ll see you out on the campaign trail!  _

_ Laura Hollis _ __  
_ Reporter _ _  
_ __ TTV News, Toronto

Carmilla grinned, glad she was alone in her office, and quickly wrote her response back.

_ To: Laura Hollis, TTV Reporter _ _  
_ _ From: Carmilla Karnstein _

_ Subject: RE: Your TTV Profile _

_ Thanks, cupcake. Saw it earlier; I looked pretty good. I mean - the first comment was about how ‘stunningly beautiful’ I am. I’m feeling really good about it. _

_ You did great too, I guess.  _

_ And I very much doubt it. This was a one-time thing, all of Mattie’s favours have been cashed out. _

_ -Carmilla _

Only moments later, the response came.

_ To: Carmilla Karnstein _ _  
_ _ From: Laura Hollis, TTV Reporter _

_ Subject: RE: Your TTV Profile _

_ So modest, I should’ve included something about that in the segment. Are you sure you didn’t leave the comment yourself? Or some weird internet creep? ;)  _

_ Ah, well - that mocha was incredible so I might just have to stop by again. And the cupcake?! Mmmm. Even though it was totally tainted by your unnecessary rudeness, I neeeeeed to have another.  _

_ Laura Hollis _ __  
_ Reporter _ _  
_ __ TTV News, Toronto

Carmilla laughed to herself.

She really hoped Laura wasn’t lying. 

It would be kind of nice to see her again.

\---

Carmilla’s wish came true about a week later.

She was working in the back when she overheard the familiar voice that belonged to someone who had taken up a completely  _ embarrassing _ amount of Carmilla’s thoughts.

She immediately felt her mood improve.

Carmilla walked out of the office to find Laura and LaFontaine talking, their rapport easy. Laura was in the middle of introducing her friend to LaFontaine, and Carmilla had to stop herself from getting jealous.

Jealous? No. Not jealous. 

“Oh, Carmilla!” Laura said, spotting her. She grinned and Carmilla felt herself match it. “I  _ finally _ found time to come back. And I brought another happy paying customer!”

“She won’t shut up about this place,” the woman said, rolling her eyes at Laura. Laura shoved her playfully, then draped her arm around her shoulders.

Carmilla’s smile faltered.

Not jealous at all. 

Laura introduced them. “Mel’s a producer at TTV and she mentioned that her new girlfriend’s younger sisters were sugar fiends,”  _ oh, thank god,  _ Carmilla thought, “and well, you know, it’s important to impress the in-laws!”

Mel rolled her eyes. “And on that note, yeah, can I get two of those chocolate cupcakes. And an Americano. To go.”

LaFontaine rang her order up, asking Mel questions about her girlfriend, while nudging Carmilla. They gave Carmilla a knowing look, letting her take Laura’s order. 

“Hey cutie,” Carmilla greeted. It made her smile to see Laura’s blush at the nickname. “What can I get you?”

“A small mocha with soy milk please and thank you,” she asked. “And one cupcake, of course.”

“Of course. On the house,” she said, taking it out of the case and sliding it to her. “For making me look good.”

Laura happily accepted it, dipping her finger in the icing and licking it. Carmilla was mesmerized, watching her tongue flick the tip. 

“I thought you were just ‘stunningly beautiful’ all on your own,” Laura teased, most definitely noticing how Carmilla reacted to her ‘enjoying’ the cupcake.

“Now, Miss Hollis, was it  _ you _ who left the comment?” 

“You wish.”

Carmilla laughed. “Do you  _ want _ the free cupcake, or do you want to pay $5 for it?”

Laura playfully scoffed. “The sign says it’s $3.25!”

“It’s extra for people who get on my nerves.” Their eyes locked, the two of them smirking at one another. Carmilla felt her heartbeat pick up.

“Hey boss, when you’re done flirting, can you come help me with this?” LaFontaine interrupted, Mel’s laughter joining theirs. 

Carmilla felt the blush creep up her face, eyes leaving Laura’s, not before seeing Laura react a similar, sheepish way. 

After sending both Laura and Mel off with their coffees and cupcakes, LaFontaine hustled up next to Carmilla.

“Totally smooth boss,” they joked, Carmilla glaring. “You couldn’t tell at all that you’re into her in a big way.”

“I will fire you.”

\---

Carmilla stood alone, watching LaFontaine and Lola Perry awkwardly giggle at each other, both clearly smitten with one another. It was kind of gross.

She was at the back of a community hall where Mattie’s rally was about to start. LaFontaine mentioned that they were thinking of going and convinced Carmilla to come with them. She was pretty sure LaF just wanted to come to gawk and stutter at Lola Perry, so she ruthlessly teased them about it on the drive over. She was proven right, when they arrived and Carmilla re-introduced the two. She kind of resented them for ditching her at the event though.

Carmilla went to the event out of morbid curiosity. She wanted to compare it to the  _ hundreds _ of events she was forced to go to for her mother. She immediately noticed the differences when she came in - from the people who attended (a distinct  _ lack _ of old, rich white men), to the venue they were in (a community hall rather than an opulent hotel ballroom), to the snack table filled with chips and pop instead of fancy hors devours (which Carmilla was currently taking advantage of).

“Carmilla! I thought you said you’d never come to one of these things,” a voice said. “It’s good to see you!”

_ Laura _ . Carmilla grinned, seeing Laura Hollis walk up to her, wearing jeans and a hoodie - not in her usual power suit, ready for TV. It was a nice change, but really, it proved that Laura was adorable in everything. 

Laura reached for her, and brought her into a hug, catching her off guard. She stiffened at first - she wasn’t a hugger, avoiding casual human contact whenever she could - but this...was  _ nice _ .

“Political rallies are my passion,” Carmilla joked, still in the hug.

“Really?” Laura pulled away and held Carmilla at arms length, eyebrows raised.

“No, not at all,” Carmilla said, smirking. She tried not to overthink her disappointment when Laura let go of her completely. “LaFontaine has a crush on Perry so they dragged me to this so I could introduce them again.”

“It’s very sweet of you to play matchmaker.”

“Pfft, no - I’m here just in case they make a huge fool out of themself. To point and laugh, like any respectable ‘friendployer’ would.”

Laura turned and looked at the direction Carmilla gestured and grinned. LaF and Perry were clearly flirting, Perry laughing at something they had said.

“Aww, they look like they hit it off!”

“Yeah, adorable,” Carmilla deadpanned. “So, are you interviewing Mattie or something?” 

Laura shook her head. She grabbed a flyer that was being handed out by one of the volunteers.

“I’m here off-the-record. I’ve attended Vordenberg’s last rally, one of Armitage’s meet ups, and now I’m here. How else will I make an informed decision about this election?”

“You take your job seriously,” Carmilla noted. 

“I take  _ voting _ seriously,” Laura corrected. “So you’re really just here to play wingman? Or are you showing your sister support? You must’ve seen the polls - they’ve gone up in her favor after our interview.”

Carmilla shrugged. “It’s for mayor, it’s not like she’s running for Premier or Prime Minister.”

“As mayor, she would be in charge of Canada’s largest city.”

“With a city council working under her. Even if she wins the same goons who let Vordie get away with everything will probably be reelected,” Carmilla countered. 

“But she says she wants to end that. Do you think capable of that?”

Laura’s posture changed, and Carmilla saw her go into her reporter mode. It was kind of hot, how Laura seamlessly slip into that role, but she also didn’t want to get pulled into a political debate. It would feel  _ too much _ like how it was when her mother was alive.

“I didn’t realize I was being interviewed again,” Carmilla cautioned. 

Laura blinked, almost as though she was snapping out of it. “I’m sorry!” she said, grabbing Carmilla’s arm, apologetically giving it a squeeze. “I get wrapped up in this, I’ll stop pushing.”

“No, I just…to answer your question, yes I think she can change it. Look at who’s here,” she said, gesturing at a young family who had just entered the room, “She’s not Vordenberg. She’s not my mother.” She sighed, hoping that Laura would take the queue to drop it. “Now, creampuff, should we take our seats?”

Laura smiled. 

“Sure.”

At the end of the rally, which Carmilla must say, endeared her to the idea of Mattie becoming Mayor even more - and seemed to convince Laura as well, not that she would admit that (“I have to be impartial!”) - Carmilla found the nerve to ask for Laura’s number.

She even forgave herself for stuttering while asking - because Laura turned red and quickly grabbed her phone out of her purse, eagerly fumbling to exchange numbers with her.

\---

Carmilla didn’t want to go to another event.

She  _ really _ didn’t.

But Mattie asked,  _ so _ politely, to attend at least one of several debates. It was the right thing to do, Mattie explained, to show her support in the final stages of the campaign. Mattie was gaining momentum and to have Carmilla attend would make a huge difference. Carmilla became a de facto representative of Toronto’s small business community. Her public support was important.

And Carmilla and Laura had been texting since the rally. Laura might’ve also mentioned that she was going to be there to cover the event for TTV.

So here she was, walking into the auditorium where the debate was to be held. On the stage were podiums, enough for all the candidates. According to the signs, Mattie and Vordenberg were in the center.

Carmilla scanned the room and spotted the camera crews setting up. She almost immediately saw Kirsch, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw who he was talking to. Laura was there, with a microphone, fitting an earpiece in. 

She looked poised and professional, and  _ made _ to be what she was doing. It was  _ really _ attractive to see her in that space. 

Carmilla approached, making sure the camera wasn’t recording. She tapped Laura’s shoulder. 

“Hey, cutie,” Carmilla greeted, putting an arm around her waist for a side hug.

“Carmilla! You look great!” Laura exclaimed, pulling away and looking at her properly. Carmilla enjoyed seeing Laura’s eyes trace up her body, her self-esteem rising. She definitely made a good decision, wearing the suit and tie. 

“Of course I do,” Carmilla agreed, giving Laura a wink. She enjoyed watching Laura visibly fluster at it. “Mattie made me clean up if I was going to officially support her at an event.”

“Well the suit...suits you.”

“Really, cupcake?”

“Shut up,” Laura said. Carmilla grinned at the blush that appeared. “So you’re  _ finally  _ openly showing your sister support?

“I mostly just want to see Vordie flounder in public, one last time.”

“Please, you’re totally invested,” Laura teased. 

“What can I say? The news coverage, especially on TTV, has been especially inspiring. It’s making me want to engage in my civic duty.”

“Well I’m glad we’re making a difference!” Laura said, playing along. “ _ Jerk _ .”

Carmilla grinned. “So Mattie told me that you’re exclusively covering her campaign?”

“I am. Vordenberg asked if he could only be assigned - and I quote - ‘ _ lovely women reporters _ ’, so we’ve only sent the guys his way. Kirsch has been pretty excited to be on the other side of the camera at his events. He’s only here as my cameraman today as a favor.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes. “Vordie’s such a creep.”

“Hey, TTV has been giving his family  _ way  _ too much coverage lately. Can I ask you some questions about the campaign so far? On camera?”

“I don’t know…” She  _ really  _ didn’t want to. She just wanted to sit in the designated spot that Mattie said she reserved for her, up at the front where the photographers would be. Mattie promised her that she didn’t book any interviews for her.

“You did great in our interview and so many people want to hear from you again. Plus, it’s like Vordenberg gave his entire extended family my number ‘cause they keep calling. I kinda wanna stick it to them.” Laura brought her hands together, begging. “Please, Carm?”

_ Carm _ .

She never really liked it when people called her that, but with Laura…

She liked it.

“Carm?” Laura looked adorable and Carmilla had no choice.

“Okay, fine.”

\---

It was a rare day off, and Carmilla was doing what she loved best - lying on her couch, reading a book of short stories that she had read a million times before. She was planning on not leaving the apartment all day, just staying with her book.

Her phone buzzed, indicating a text had been received. Her display read  _ Laura _ .

It read:  _ ‘I spent way too much money at Buy The Book. I blame you, I lived a perfectly reasonable life before you told me about this store. Why are used books so inexpensive?!’ _

She typed back.  _ ‘How many did you get?’ _

Laura responded:  _ ‘Enough that I’m wondering if you’re home? I could use a hand and I know you said you lived nearby…’ _

Carmilla sighed, pretending to herself that she was inconvenienced by Laura’s request, when she knew damn well that she was happy to drop  _ anything _ if Laura asked her to. If it meant seeing Laura, and possibly flirting with Laura, and seeing Laura do that cute flustered thing when she laid it on thick.

She was far gone. As LaFontaine told her the day before, she better ask Laura out soon.

It was getting pathetic.

But Carmilla was nervous. She knew she shouldn’t be - Laura was  _ clearly _ interested - but her last relationship was  _ years _ ago, and it ended poorly. And while Carmilla dated, and dated often, she never kept anyone around long term.

And things with Laura? They felt like they could last...well. A  _ really _ long time.

Carmilla didn’t know if she could do it - if she could be in a relationship with someone like Laura, who deserved  _ everything. _

But in any case, her desire to see Laura again outweighed her internal struggle over her growing feelings for the woman.

Carmilla slung her coat on the texted back.  _ ‘I’ll be there in fifteen.’ _

She would’ve been there in ten minutes, but she decided to quickly stop by Silas Coffee (ignoring LaFontaine’s questions when she walked in and out quickly). With a nicely packaged cupcake in a bag, she reached Laura fifteen minutes later. Laura had seated herself on a bench outside the bookstore and was flanked by four full bags of books. 

“Did you leave anything in the store?” Carmilla asked, eyebrow raised.

“It’s not  _ that _ bad!” Laura argued.

“Fine, if it isn’t that bad, shouldn’t you be able to bring the books home yourself?” Laura grumbled in response, and Carmilla teased her further. “Don’t you work out?”

“Have you been checking me out?” Laura countered.

Carmilla blushed. 

“Are you always this annoying?”

“You should know by now it’s part of my charm.”

“Oh yeah, that and your love of cupcakes. You should eat this now. Here.” Carmilla handed Laura the bag, which she excitedly accepted.

“Thank you!” Laura squealed, opening the package and taking a bite out of the cupcake. “Oh  _ god _ …”

Laura proceeded to  _ devour _ the cupcake, making appreciative noises that made Carmilla blush. She couldn’t help but imagine other ways she could make Laura make those sounds. She bit her lip, shamelessly staring.

“Those aren't very publicly acceptable noises, sweetheart,” Carmilla said, her voice faltering a bit. 

“Sorry, you know how I get with these cupcakes, Carm. They’re just... _ delicious _ .”

Laura winked and Carmilla  _ hated _ her, because she definitely knew what she was doing.

“You’re the worst.”

“I highly doubt you think that. Thanks for the cupcake though.” Laura grinned, finishing the cupcake. She made a show of licking the tips of her fingers. “Mmmm…”

It was always the cute and innocent ones who always ended up not really being all that innocent. Carmilla glared. 

“You done? Let’s get out of here,” Carmilla said, grabbing two of the four full bags. Laura grabbed the rest. “Good lord, Hollis. Are there bricks in here too?”

“I like big books! ...and I cannot lie.” Laura laughed at her own terrible joke, making Carmilla cringe even more.

One minute Laura was a dork, the next she was a vixen, and a split second later she was back to being a dork. 

_ How _ did she have a crush on this woman?

“If you say anymore, I’m leaving you and your books on the street.”

“You wouldn’t  _ dare  _ mistreat books like that!”

Oh, right. She was perfect.

\---

One more week until election night. Crunch time.

Carmilla had somehow been convinced to now  _ volunteer  _ for Mattie’s campaign. She’d been at it for two hours, going door to door, and she hated every moment of it. No one wanted to volunteer with her too, because  _ apparently  _ she was gruff, so she had been on her own.

She had one more block to do and then she’d be done. She was already fantasizing about the glass of wine she was going to pour herself when she got home. Maybe she’d even invite Laura. They had been hanging out more, ever since she helped her bring home all the books.

It was nice. Hanging out. Being friends.

Pining like a pathetic pine tree, as LaFontaine would say. 

Finally, Carmilla reached the last door on the block, and rang the doorbell. While she waited she mentally rehearsed the speech that Perry gave all the volunteers to say to the potential voters.

The door swung open.

“Hello,” she said,  monotonically . “I’d like to talk to you about voting for Matska Belmonde on next Monday for Mayor of Toronto.” 

She looked up from the clipboard then gasped. “Cupcake?”

“So she’s roped you into actively campaigning for her?” Laura asked, standing at the door, the smile on her face almost mocking her. Clearly she thought it was  _ hilarious  _ that Carmilla was doing this. It wasn’t.

“This is not where you live.” 

“You’re right; this is my dad’s place. I’m housesitting until tomorrow while he’s out of town, remember? So you’re going door-to-door for her?”

“I have come to the realization that I have no autonomy when my sister is involved. The other day she and Perry had me making phone calls. And you know who answers their phone when you call?”

“Who?”

“Old people. It’s horrible. They talk way too much, like they’re trying to get out every word before they croak.”

“ _ That _ is horrible, Carmilla,” Laura said, shaking her head but still suppressing a laugh. 

“And the only people who answer their doors are people who want to fight me. I don’t care if you’re shitty and you don’t want to vote for my sister, she doesn’t want your shitty vote anyway. People are assholes. Why would anyone want to go into politics?”

“Shhh,” Laura said, stopping Carmilla with a finger to her lips. Carmilla felt immediately calmed and had to stop herself from kissing it. “You’re being annoyingly grumpy and I think I should rescue you and my dad’s neighbours from any more of your broodiness. Do you want to come in? You don’t even need to give me the ‘Vote for Mattie’ party line. You look like you could take a break. Come in for a cup of tea - my dad’s off coffee, so we have a lot of tea in the house.”

“Sacrilege.” 

“There’s also whisky!” Laura offered in singsong. 

“Sold,” Carmilla said, shrugging off her jacket and stepping inside. “Thank you, cupcake.”

Laura led her down the hallway, but Carmilla found herself distracted by the photos of Laura all over the walls. Laura’s old school photos, vacation photos with a man who Carmilla assumed was Laura’s father, photos at various ages. All of which proved that Laura was adorable at every point of her life.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything, cupcake.”

“Not at all; just watching old Parks and Rec episodes. All this election coverage has inspired me to rewatch season 4,” Laura said, sitting on the couch and pouring the glasses with Crown Royal. “But we don’t need to keep watching. We can watch whatever. Or just talk. Or just sit and do whatever! Anything you like!”

She handed Carmilla a glass, filled a little too high. She seemed tense but kept a smile on her face.

Carmilla arched an eyebrow up and grinned. “You okay, cupcake?”

Laura blushed. “I just...feel a little rebellious right now,” she admitted, taking a small sip of her drink. “I’ve never actually drank alcohol in this house.”

“Seriously? How about a glass of wine with dinner?”

“Never. I  _ drink _ , but I don’t know, this is where I grew up! This is where my dad  _ lives _ !”

“Right - you’re an only child and he’s super protective?”

Laura sighed. “Yeeeep,” she said, taking a big drink. “Exactly. I guess...you can relate to parental pressure, hey?”

Carmilla laughed. “I can, sweetheart.”

They both grinned at each other. This was nice; it was familiar and comfortable, but also exciting. Carmilla got filled with anticipation - she was alone with a beautiful woman and felt her hopes rise. 

“So what what would your dad think now?” Carmilla leaned forward. “Sitting in his living room, drinking his booze, flirting with a sexy stranger who you let in from the street?”

“You’re not a stranger.” 

“So you think I’m sexy, sweetheart?”

Laura blushed then took sip of her drink. She made a face - which Carmilla sympathized with, Crown Royal was basically lighter fluid - then hit ‘Play’ on the remote, continuing the episode of Parks and Rec. “ _ Anyway _ …”

Carmilla laughed. 

They continued to make small talk - veering away from anything personal or deep. They were two episodes in, glasses had been refilled a couple times, and they both got progressively tipsy, which meant she was even more physically affectionate and even more flirtatious. And Carmilla said whatever she could to keep it up with Laura - making ridiculous jokes just to make Laura laugh, flirting more to make Laura blush. 

Carmilla was letting the alcohol get to her a little, too. 

It was weird; whenever she was interested in a woman, she usually just went for it. Flirt with her, date her (if necessary), find out if the sex was any good (repeat if it was), and eventually end it (usually sooner than later). 

But with Laura it just felt...different. Like Laura deserved more than that. Like something with Laura could be more permanent.

Finally, the episodes ended - not that they noticed. Carmilla  _ thinks _ they looped through the menu screen a few times, hearing the theme song repeat over and over. But she wasn’t sure; they were just talking about nothing, but somehow everything.

“I should show you my old room!” Laura said abruptly, jumping up. Their faces were close; Carmilla hadn’t realized it until Laura pulled away and she felt her breath against her lips. She felt cold at the separation. 

Laura made it  _ slightly _ better when she grabbed Carmilla’s hand and pulled her down the hall, to a closed door. The name, ‘LAURA’ was written on the door in stickers. Carmilla pointed at it, quirking up an eyebrow. 

“Cute door.”

“Har har, I put it up when I was 12 and I haven’t had the heart to take it down,” Laura said, opening the door. “I  _ did _ cover it with a picture of Demi Lovato for a couple months when I was 16 though…”

Carmilla followed Laura through the door and took it in. It was a simple small room with a twin bed pushed up against the far wall, a desk, a dresser and a bookcase filled with what looked like a few Young Adult novels. The top few rows were full of various achievement trophies and medals. At a glance, it looked like some of them were for -

“-Krav Maga?”

“Only child of an overprotective father, remember? He made sure I could protect myself.”

“Smart man.”

She looked around more, at the dresser which was covered with old photos of Laura as a teenager and in college. Laura leaned on her desk, watching her. She looked a little self-conscious, so Carmilla tried to make her feel better.

“This is cute, cupcake. It’s very you.”

“Thanks. Uh, there used to be more posters. I had a huge Harry Potter poster up here, and next to my bed was a giant poster of Kristen Stewart…”

“You were a Twilight fan?  _ Cupcake _ , I’m disappointed in you.”

Laura scoffed. “I was young and impressionable and Kristen Stewart is  _ still _ super relevant and  _ really  _ hot!”

“Touché.”

Carmlila’s eyes lingered on Laura’s little twin-sized bed, before sitting on it. 

“So... have you ever had a girl in here?”

Laura laughed. “My dad’s a deep sleeper and I lived here until my second year of university. I said I never drank booze in here, but I never said I was a  _ nun _ .” 

“Well well well,” Carmilla said, suddenly feeling like the room had gotten hotter. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”

Laura grinned, joining Carmilla on the bed. “Oh, I definitely do.”

“So what am I? I’m just another notch on your bedpost?” Carmilla’s breath hitched. The look on Laura’s face was something she’d never seen before. It was teasing; almost predatory. It was  _ so _ hot...

“Definitely not.”

This was it. This was the moment, this was the chance for Carmilla to  _ finally _ make a move. She could almost taste Laura’s lips under hers, after weeks of tension, of flirting. She licked her lips then leaned forward, moving to close the gap between them-

_ -”Laura? Honey?” _

“Oh god!” Laura exclaimed, standing up quickly. “My dad’s back. Why is he back?” she asked herself. Carmilla quickly stood up, her heartbeat pounding but now from the surprise.

_ “Sweetheart! I’m hooome! Got out of the conference early - hey is that my bottle of whisky on the coffee table? I didn’t know you drank!” _

“Okay, act natural!” Laura said, putting several feet of space between the two. Carmilla felt like she was sixteen again and awkwardly stood next to the bookcase.

The door swung open.

“Hi sweetie! I was wondering where you were, I managed to come back early,” said a man who shared Laura’s smile and presence. “Oh! Hello. Laura, who’s this?”

“Oh, hi sir,” Carmilla shook his hand, “I’m Carmilla.” She felt sheepish under his gaze, like she was meeting the in-laws for the first time. Which she definitely wasn’t, she reminded herself. 

“Carmilla? Oh, Carmilla! You’re Matska Belmonde’s sister, aren’t you? I saw Laura’s profile on her and you!” he shared, happily.

“That’s me.” 

“It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Laura’s dad. You can call me Sherman. And Laura,” he said, turning his attention back to her, “it’s  _ finally _ nice to meet one of your girlfriends-”

“-Oh, she’s not-” Laura began.

“-I’m not-” Carmilla said, at the same time.

“-I mean, after all these years,” Sherman began, reminiscing, “I always wondered what kind of woman you’d end up with, and this one, she’s a business owner! Very impressive!”

“Okay, dad,” Laura said, pushing Sherman out of her doorway. “I think it’s time for you to go to bed or watch This Hour Has 22 Minutes or hockey or whatever, bye!” 

He laughed and told Carmilla it was nice to meet her as Laura closed the door behind her. 

_ “And you can replace my bottle of whisky any time, Laura!”  _ he said through the door. 

Carmilla smiled, eyebrows raised and Laura shrugged.

“So that’s my dad.” They laughed, the tension cutting.

Laura took a step towards Carmilla. “So…”

“So…” Carmilla tucked a strand of Laura’s hair that had fallen out of its ponytail behind her ear. Standing so close, she took Laura in. She could see the hazel in Laura’s eyes, the blush of her cheeks, and felt the puff of air from her lips, which looked  _ too _ inviting. She smelled vaguely like whisky, and that’s when Carmilla decided to take a step back. “I should probably go…”

“Yeah?” Laura’s face fell.

“Yeah. I mean, your dad’s home, and we’ve been drinking, and the next couple of days are going to be busy for us both,” she rationalized. “So I’ll see you...around?”

“You’re right,” Laura sighed. “Did you drive? You had almost as much as me, and I definitely shouldn’t be driving or going around kissing really sexy women…” Carmilla grinned. “Or saying  _ anything _ …”

“No, I took the bus. I’ll take an Uber.” Carmilla pulled out her phone and made the request on the app, deciding to spare Laura any teasing. “I have...six minutes until it gets here.”

“Let me walk you out.” Laura placed her hand on Carmilla’s lower waist, walking the two out of her room. They stopped in the living room to say goodbye to Laura’s dad, who had poured a glass of Crown Royal for himself. 

“Hello again!” he said, taking a sip. “You’re heading home?”

“Yes, sir,” Carmilla said. “Uh, I mean, Sherman.”

“Well it was nice to meet you, Carmilla. And best of luck to your sister,” he said. “I’ll be voting for her.”

Carmilla smiled, “She’ll be happy to hear that.”

“Okay! I’m just going to wait for her Uber with her dad, I’ll be right back!” Laura tugged Carmilla’s hand, taking her outside. They stood on the driveway of the Hollis house, and Laura finally let go. 

“Oh god, I feel like I’m 15 again,” Laura whined, rubbing her fingers on her temples. “Sorry if he was weird or made you uncomfortable, or if  _ I _ made you uncomfortable. I really shouldn’t invite girls into my dad’s house, I have my own place for stuff like that!” 

She paced, back and forth, as she continued. “And like, I’m still a  _ little _ tipsy, so I  _ might _ regret telling you this, but I have a huge crush on you. Like, a  _ massive _ crush on you. And I  _ think _ you might have a crush on me too, which kind of  _ blows _ my mind, ‘cause the only people who ever show me attention are creepy dudes on Twitter who mansplain my segments to me, but you,  _ YOU _ seem to like me. I mean, I  _ think _ you do,” Laura stopped, concerned. “Wait, do you?”

A car pulled up to the sidewalk next to them, and Uber sign on the windshield. 

“Damn it!” Laura exclaimed.

Carmilla sighed, cursing the interruptions and bad timing that they had to deal with. She took Laura’s hand, redirecting her attention back to her, and smiled at her, hoping to reassure her. She cupped Laura’s face then leaned in, kissing Laura’s cheek. She lingered a little, before whispering into her ear. 

“I’ll see you soon, Laura.” 

“Promise?” Laura asked, her voice so hopeful.

“I promise,” she said, before stepping away. She to the car and opened the door, before turning back to Laura. “You’re right, by the way. I do.”

She got into the car, before Laura could react, grinning all the way home. 

\---

A week later, Carmilla was exhausted. She had been pushed and pulled in multiple directions, all because of Mattie’s campaign. It was  _ finally _ coming to an end. It’d been some of the longest few months, only rivaled by the election periods she had to go through with her mother’s political career.

The biggest difference though, was the nearly constant presence of Laura Hollis.

They were both busy. Laura was working non-stop; coverage of the campaign had increased. For Carmilla, Silas Coffee had become quite popular because of the election - Mattie’s supporters started to come by, and word spread. Despite being so busy, Laura and Carmilla texted constantly - when they could get time away from cameras, coffee orders, and the campaign. 

Other journalists reached out to Carmilla for interviews. Mattie’s people arranged a couple with her, but eventually gave up. Carmilla truly was an awful person to interview; only Laura could get her to string together more than a few words that weren’t tinged with grump. Carmilla was more than happy to not be relied on by Mattie for that.  

Laura did manage to stop by the coffee shop though, while Carmilla was out on one of those awful interviews. She was disappointed to have missed her, but LaFontaine assured her that they sent Laura off with a free cupcake. 

And finally, tonight was the night. 

Election night. 

Earlier that day, she stood in line with Mattie. With cameras rolling and reporters watching, they cast their votes. Carmilla even let herself feel pride as she marked a decisive ‘X’ in the box next to ‘Matska Belmonde’ on the ballot. 

“Thank you, Carmilla,” Mattie said. “I couldn’t have done this without you.” Mattie hugged her before being pulled away by Lola Perry for an interview. 

Now, Carmilla was at the results rally with a few hundred of Mattie’s supporters. Mattie was going to arrive when results were confirmed - hopefully before midnight, Carmilla thought. The various prediction polls were close between her and Vordenberg. At this point, it was a coin toss. 

But Carmilla was optimistic. There was just something in the air that Carmilla felt good about.

Tonight was going to be a good night.

Carmilla stood with LaFontaine. She spotted a few familiar people - other volunteers, some people who she met at different campaign events. She saw Mel, Laura’s co-worker, and was introduced to Mel’s girlfriend, Charlotte and her sisters, Emily and Anne. All three raved about Silas Coffee.

She felt good about the night, but she was still nervous. She excused herself from their conversation to get a drink. A gin and tonic would help; she would allow herself just one drink to help with the nerves. She wanted to be sober when Mattie won.

When she received the drink from the bartender, a hand reached forward, paying for her drink for her. 

“Go easy on the alcohol, Carmilla, we don’t want a repeat of last week,” Laura teased. She dropped her change in the tip jar, then took Carmilla’s hand.

“Cupcake! I should’ve known you’d be here.” Carmilla pulled Laura into her arms, and rested her forehead against Laura’s. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you, too, Carm.” Laura sighed, returning the hug and sinking into her arms. “Are you finally going to admit that you want your sister to win?”

Carmilla lifted her head, then stared into Laura’s eyes. 

“If Mattie wins, go on a date with me.”

Laura sucked in a breath. “And if she loses?” she asked, her voice shaky.

“A free cupcake, whenever you come in,” Carmilla answered, shrugging but keeping her arms around her. 

Laura laughed. “Well, now I know who I’m rooting for.”

Laura was then called away by someone with a TTV camera. She pulled away apologetically. “I’ll see you soon,” Laura promised, then she went back to her camera, back into reporter mode. 

At approximately 9:37 pm, Mattie was declared the winner by all the major news networks in Toronto, including TTV. They said that despite there being just 30% of votes counted, Mattie’s lead was decisive. Vordenberg conceded shortly after, and Lola Perry stood at the podium, thanking Mattie’s voters for their support and introducing Mattie to the crowd.

Carmilla celebrated with the others, getting swept up in the excitement. 

As she looked up at Mattie on stage to thank Torontonians, she felt an incredible amount of pride in her sister. She had never felt this swell of pride when she’d see her mother up there. 

Mattie invited her to join her on stage, and the applause that she received surprised her. 

It was a good night. 

Even better was when the rally turned into a party. Mattie was swept away, being interviewed and taking pictures with supporters. Carmilla was dancing with LaFontaine, Perry and Mel, celebrating with strangers the change that Toronto was going to experience.

Carmilla felt a tap on her shoulder and turned, and saw Laura, looking like Carmilla’s future.

Before Carmilla could say a word, Laura reached for the nape of her neck and brought their lips together. They kissed and it tore Carmilla open in the best of ways. Their lips moved together, eagerly losing themselves to each other. Carmilla clutched at Laura’s back, any space between the two felt like too much - if she could form any thought beyond  _ Laura, Laura, Laura _ it would’ve been  _ finally _ .

“I’m off air for the rest of the night,” Laura said breathlessly when they finally pulled apart, their lips brushing together as she spoke.”Come home with me tonight?” 

Carmilla was wrong. 

It was a  _ great _ night.

—-

It was a brand new day.

A breeze was blowing into the room from a window that she had opened before falling asleep. It was a rare warm Fall day, the sun was shining and everything felt right. Carmilla was in an unfamiliar bed but the naked body that she was curled up against felt familiar. Felt like she should’ve been in her arms a long time ago. 

She had been awake for a few minutes, just watching Laura as she slept, taking her in. Every time she saw her, she’d been more beautiful than the last. Waking up next to her and seeing her first thing in the morning left her breathless. 

Laura stirred, beginning to wake. She pulled Carmilla tighter to her and murmured into Carmilla’s hair. 

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Carmilla answered, kissing her collarbone. “Good morning, cupcake.”

She lifted her head to look at Laura again. Her hair was tousled from the night before and even in her sleepy state she was adorable.

“So I guess you have a crush on me too?” Laura grinned.

“You’d be right.”

Carmilla leaned down and captured her lips again. She tried to keep it chaste, but as she pulled away, Laura chased her lips with her own, not wanting to break the kiss.

After a few moments of languid kissing, Laura moved away with a kiss to Carmilla’s forehead. They stared at one another for a beat, then Laura broke the silence.

“This is a ‘more than once’ thing, right? I don’t really do...one night stands.”

“This is an ‘as long as you’ll have me’ thing, sweetheart.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.”

Their kiss this time was less heated, both of them smiling against one another, but not wanting to break away.

“I voted for your sister, by the way,” Laura confessed, as Carmilla peppered kisses down Laura’s neck. 

“Thought you would. You’re a smart woman.”

“But now I’m totally regretting it, those cupcakes are incredible.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes, then continued her descent down Laura’s torso. 

“You’re lucky I like you so much, cutie.”

——

Four years later...

“ _ Hello Carmilla, it’s me, Mattie. I was wondering if you could ask your girlfriend to stop posting those disgustingly adorable photos of the two of you on her social media? If I get another question about you two - oh god, they’ve been calling you ‘Hollstein’ by the way - from so-called respected journalists, I am going to scream. I’m the Mayor for Christ’s sake, not a member of your fan club... Anyway, call me back! Ta!” _

Carmilla closed the voicemail and put her phone away, looking at Laura. 

“She sounded a little annoyed.” After all these years, Laura still had a way with words.

“Just a little,” Carmilla humoured.

“Then she’s  _ really _ not going to like this one,” Laura said, eyes now focused on her own phone. She held it up when she was done, for Carmilla’s approval.

It was a photo of the two of them, taken earlier. They were standing in front of one of Mattie’s recently posted re-election billboards, Laura with a big smile and giving the thumbs up, Carmilla with a reserved smile, arm around Laura’s shoulders. The caption read:  _ “Re-elect Matska Belmonde!” _

“Well, if she gets any questions about this, at least it’ll be about her re-election campaign, right?” Laura rationalized.

“If this upsets her and she uses it to make me go to a rally or whatever -“ Carmilla started.

“-you’ll happily do it, because you’re proud of her, you think she’s done a great job as mayor, and you kind of owe her eternally for making us meet and eventually fall in love?” 

“Exactly what I was going to say.”


End file.
